The technology of the present disclosure relates to an optical scanning device and an image forming apparatus including the same.
Conventionally, an image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic system such as a copy machine and a printer includes an optical scanning device that emits lights for forming an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor, and a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor as a toner image.
The optical scanning device has a housing that receives a polygon mirror, an image forming lens and the like. The housing is formed with light emitting ports that emit lights. The light emitting port includes an opening extending in a predetermined direction. The light emitting port is closed by a transparent cover.
When dirt, dust and the like due to toner and the like are attached to the surface of the transparent cover, there is a problem that the optical characteristics of the optical scanning device are deteriorated and thus image failure occurs. In this regard, there has been proposed a cleaning mechanism that regularly cleans the surface of the transparent cover.
The cleaning mechanism has a screw shaft extending in the same direction as the extension direction of the transparent cover, and a holding member that holds a cleaning member in engagement with the screw shaft. The screw shaft is connected to a motor via a gear train so as to be able to transmit power.
The screw shaft is rotated forward and backward by the motor, so that the holding member reciprocally moves along the screw shaft. By so doing, the cleaning member reciprocally moves while abutting the surface of the transparent cover, so that the surface of the transparent cover is cleaned by the cleaning member.